My challenge for 2015: try something new every day for a whole year.

Day 206 – chilled coconut and beetroot soup

As it was ridiculously hot again today (I love this summer!), I thought it was time to try and make my own version of the cold soup I told you about the other week. So if you’re a lover of soup, coconut and beetroot like me, this is for you! The soup is pretty easy to make, while looking and tasting fantastic – so this is definitely one to impress guests with in the summer (even more so as it can be prepared ahead of time).Chilled coconut and beetroot soup

If you’re more dedicated than me and haven’t bought the pre-boilt stuff, boil the beetroot and peel it, then cut it into small cubes.

Finely chop the garlic and spring onion, then briefly fry it in the sesame oil with a little chili. Before it starts going brown, add the coconut milk and cold water. Add the beetroot cubes to the soup.

Fry the coconut chips in a pan (no oil needed) until they turn a lovely brown and smell delicious. Be careful as they will turn black very suddenly if left too long. Add the juice of the lemon. Season to taste with salt and chili.

Let the soup cool down in the fridge. Before serving it, add some coconut chips and basil leaves (ripped into small bits) to each bowl.

Serve with your choice of bread if you’d like, although I found it rich and filling enough on its own and didn’t actually need anything with it.